Don’t forget to regularly check in on the Pet Connection Blog! Over 5500 products from more than 100 companies have now been recalled. Let’s not even get started on the contaminants being in the US and Canadian human food stream.
Reading Update
Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie. Moving right along through the Kincaid and James mysteries.
Don’t Mess with Mrs. In-Between by Liz Evans. I’m reading these mysteries about British PI Grace Smith completely out of order – oh well… If you like mysteries with smart-alecky main characters, give these a try.
Knitting Update
Last Friday I accidentally bought a new laptop. Well, ok, not exactly accidentally, but close. CompUSA is closing its stores in Minnesota and finally dropped prices down to interesting levels. (Hang on, you’ll see how this relates to knitting in a bit.) One of the stores is about a mile from work and I wandered in over my lunch break to discover they still had a few decent in-the-box laptops for very good prices. Very good prices. So now in addition to my laptop “Kenshin” (more of a desktop, actually – poor Kenshin has so many things connected that it is not worth unplugging him to go mobile), I have “Rurouni.” (Rurouni Kenshin is an anime series about a wandering samurai named Kenshin – “Rurouni” roughly means “wandering,” which seems a very good name for a laptop.)
Anyway! I decided that I needed a laptop sleeve to protect Rurouni in my bag. I knew what I wanted and found it in AlterKnits, which was only the fourth book I pulled off the shelf – bonus!
I pulled out some Kureyon (color 81 – forest green, purple, black, grey, and rust) and cast on. It’s not much to look at yet, but when assembled and felted, it will stripe in the same direction as the bag above.
“Hey, big kitty, I think Mom is finally making us that cat bed!” -Mayhem
“Really? I’ll believe that when I see it, May!” -Chaos
And the Canadian food-stream too!
Geez, you scared me for a sec… I thought you had gone and gotten another kitty! Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 😀
I love Chaos’ pose above. It’s so cute when they scrunch their front paws together.
A laptop cozy.
YOU ARE SO CRAFTY. Seriously.
I love it. Because I can be crafty vicariously through you.
LOL… I thought you’d either gotten another kitty or maybe your brother & SIL were in the ‘family’ way 🙂
But a laptop is a good addition to a family 🙂
Cheers Eva
Hehe, I was waiting for a kitten or a fish or something like that.
Laptops are always good, but laptops at a serious discount are excellent.
You always have the most interesting links Chris…and I find new people and blogs (and books!!)through you weekly..thanks! I appreciate you!
Chaos is no fool; he knows better.
That’s going to be a great case for you new baby. I love the colors; can’t wait to see it felted.
Chris- DH would be so jealous- we have 5 computers in the house, but no laptops. I have made a zipdrive cosy-
Looks like Chaos and May will have to wait for that Kitty bed.
That will be a cool case for your new laptop. Here I was thinking it was going to be a cat or at least a stuffed cat. Chaos has finally lost all hope of getting a cat bed. 😉
Nice score of the laptop! And the bag is going to be beautiful!
Don’t worry May and Chaos….I’m sure you’ll be able to use it as a cat bed when Mom least expects it!
Apparently May has other plans for your “laptop cozy”.. and you thought you weren’t knitting a kitty bed. heh!
Congratulations on the new laptop! I didn’t know that CompUSA was closing its stores, that’s kind of sad. But good for the bargain hunters, I suppose.
The pet food thing has me more and more freaked out every day. We’re running low here and I need to do something, but I can’t figure out what. The food we feed has not been recalled (yet), but I’m not sure I want to risk it. Guess I should be looking into cooking for the cats. So much heartbreak out there over this whole thing – it makes me want to cry.
Cute idea!
I totally read rurouni as “run aroundy” and I thought “Great name for the portable ‘puter!” Then I read the post more carefully. ‘doh!
Not fair! I’m sure May would love a cat cosy. Somewhere to hide or play!
I’m taking this as a sign that I should wander to CompUsa during my break today and see if they carry a replacement for OldDell….
Glad it’s a laptop and not a “lap sitter!”
I think C&M might have taken issue with that…
Love the bag…
hm…now I have to think about a portable laptop?? Mine is definitely becoming more of a “desktop.” lolol!
(((hugs)))
I was hoping for another kitten, too! 😉
I made that laptop sleeve and absolutely love it. I made mine out of Lambs Pride, and it shrunk more than expected. I stretched it while it was still damp by inserting a 9×12 cake pan, but it’s not quite long enough for a handle.
“No, Little Kitty. Once, a long, long time ago Mom had a cat bed started for me. But then you came along. And, well, you wrecked it for all of us.” Catholic kitty guilt.
Yeah for new mobility!!! 🙂 I keep thinking about a felted lap top sleeve, but am slightly concerned about static… Any thoughts?
Thanks for the Pet Connection link. So far none of my critters has been affected by this crap.
I bought a laptop a couple of weekends ago! We’re going to use it on our house hunting trip. I’m lazy so I bought a laptop bag. I think Janna may have knit the bag that you’re doing. It looked cool.
I just got a new laptop as well! Hmmm… A laptop bag sounds like a good idea.
Guess I should get started on a laptop cozy myself 😉 Maybe this would be a good use for my own Noro Kureyon stash too… how many balls are you using? I’ve six. Tell me six will do.
Good computer sales are hard to come by. Way to shop!
Alterknits is one of my favorite books! Congrats on the score at Compusa.
Yes, I thought it was another black cat too.
Poor May. So naive, so trusting.
This is the contamination story that freaked me out:
From China to Panama, a Trail of Poisoned Medicine
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/world/americas/06poison.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Welcome to your new wandering laptop 🙂 It will soon have a cozy little bed and feel like a true member of the family! *heh*
Such a cute picture of Chaos there at the end – he looks fluffier and more personable than usual.
Thanks for the shout-out!
Nice name for a laptop. And I know how those things just somehow accidentally come home with you. And it IS knitting-related, I have a desktop (my beloved Mac) but still use my laptop (PC) for Microsoft Access for my yarn database.
Thanks for the Pet Connection link. I’m happy to see that Java’s food (Solid Gold) is verified as as clean.
Ignore the she gets around part…
(chorus) She’s crafty – she’s gets around
She’s crafty – she’s always down
She’s crafty – she’s got a gripe
She’s crafty – and she’s just my type
She’s crafty
Thanks for the update on the Pet Connection. Must check out food again and make sure it’s OK!
I’m glad someone else names their computers. Our new laptop is Jackie, after the former first lady. 🙂
Wonderful colors! Poor May — she loves those colors, mom. 😉
I love the part where you said you “accidentally” bought a new laptop! LOL! And I’m still giggling over some of the commments!
Congratulations on your “accidental” laptop purchase! I like the colors in the bag you are knitting for it. May will be so disappointed it’s not a kitty bed. Very handsome picture of Chaos! He’s looking very lean there, certainly not in need of a diet. 😉
Nice names for your computers — and congrats on the new one! I am about to retire Titan X (Mac titanium) and hubby is drooly over it since he is tied to the desktop. Laptops rule!
Oh, and I bet May will be thrilled with the new kitty BAG!
I might need to go check out those sales …
Thanks for the shout out, we knitters are truly generous people:-)
Thanks for the pet food links. Ours comes from such a small grain place in VT, that they aren’t even listed. Sadly, our grain dealer may stop carrying this. Cool about the computer!
I thought the new family member might be another kitty too but then I remembered Chaos really would not approve – nice lap top deal! Cool carrying case for it.
That’s a great shot of Chaos as the end.
Mrs. In-between? I’ve got to read that book now that I’ve got the song stuck in my head.
Yay new laptop! I’m afraid I will need one soon as well…
Smart Chaos! Waiting to see what the feltable item will be before getting his hopes up. But May’s right – that color would look awesome as a bed for black kitties… 🙂
woh – I was almost thinking you had a new catchild there for a few seconds. I wish I had some extra $ for a portable. Most important… I think Chaos is looking especially handsome in that latest photo.
good for you to find such a great deal! I can’t wait to see the finished noro bag, I’ve thought of knitting that pattern, so I look forward to seeing your finished project.
CompUSA is going out of business here, too. In fact, they’ve been doing it for a while. I wonder if I should have stopped in before now. Have fun with your new laptop. The sleeve is going to be wonderful.
That will be a lovely laptop sleeve! What a great way to use Noro. I think Kureyon’s just too rough to wear.
I’m going to follow the pet food link and make sure I’m not poisoning my beloved kitties. 🙁 It really does make you think about what to consume.
I love Alterknits! There are some very very cool projects in that book!
Oooh that’s exciting. I think pao is angling for a new mac…
Geez, how did I miss that about CompUSA?? Mom and I both have today off, so we’ll run over to the one in Edina and see what’s left… Love your laptop bag to be, though!
New Laptops, so exciting!
Aw, I love that last picture of Chaos. He looks deceptively well behaved.